title: Perfusion heterogeneity in breast tumors for assessment of angiogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the perfusion heterogeneity of malignant and benign breast tumors and assay their vascular architecture changes and molecular expression, thereby evaluating the relevance between imaging and histologic characteristics of angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real-time grayscale contrast-enhanced sonography was performed in 310 women with 317 breast tumors. The enhancement patterns and perfusion parameters for malignant and benign tumors were analyzed by contrast-enhanced sonography with microvascular imaging and quantitative time-intensity curve analysis. Structural characteristics were observed by light and electron microscopy. The microvessel density, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, and human kinase insert domain-containing receptor (KDR) expression for all tumors were assessed by immunohistochemical staining of CD31, KDR, and VEGF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgical pathologic analysis showed 163 malignant and 154 benign tumors. Significant morphologic differences, including perfusion defects, vessel distortion, vessel dilatation, and heterogeneous enhancement, were observed between the malignant and benign groups (P < .05). The mean perfusion parameters (peak intensity, ascending slope, area under the curve, and wash-out time) were greater in the malignant tumors (P < .05). There were significant differences in the peak intensity, ascending slope, area under the curve, and wash-out time between peripheral and central regions of the malignant tumors (P < .05) but none in the benign tumors. Vessels had various morphologic and distributional characteristics in the peripheral and central regions of the malignant tumors. The microvessel density and VEGF and KDR expression were significantly higher in the malignant group (P < .05), especially in the peripheral regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perfusion heterogeneity was closely associated with the tumor microvascular architecture and molecular expression. Perfusion features, especially regional morphologic and hemodynamic features, can provide valuable information for differentiating malignant from benign breast tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838 N Guangzhou Blvd, 510515 Guangzhou, China. wen_ge37@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Ying-Jia
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-Xiao
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yong-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Hong-Qin
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying-Shi
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: angiogenesis; breast tumors; microvascular architecture; regional perfusion heterogeneity